Welcome to the Dyslexia Section of Region 9's website. This page is designed to provide information and support to districts, parents, and others in the area of dyslexia.

For questions relating to dyslexia, please contact paula.tilker@esc9.net

The Texas Education Agency has released a newly updated Spanish-language version of The Dyslexia Handbook, which contains detailed information about dyslexia and how it is identified and treated in the state. The Spanish version of the Dyslexia Handbook -- Revised 2007, Updated 2010 can be accessed at http://www.region10.org/dyslexia/Documents/SpanishDyslexiaHandbookUpdated2010.pdf

This version of the handbook replaces the previous one, which was titled The Dyslexia Handbook -- Revised 2007.

Most current definition: Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impeded growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. (Definition adopted by the International Dyslexia Association  Board, November 2002, and also used by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development.)

What does this definition mean?

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. Researchers have found particular characteristics related to dyslexia that affect certain academic areas but not others, so they are able to identify it as a specific learning disability. Imaging research also shows different brain activation patterns in dyslexic readers than are seen in good readers.

It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These are the difficulties teachers usually see in the classroom. Dyslexics have trouble reading real words (word recognition) as well as pronouncing words that are made up (decoding, or applying phonics skills). Dyslexics also have problems with spelling. Additionally, they have difficulty reading text accurately, quickly, and with good understanding (fluency). This problem of reading slowly and with effort often persists into adolescence and adulthood.

These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language... Researchers generally agree that dyslexia is rooted in the part of the language system that affects the processing of individual speech sounds that make up words. Dyslexics have trouble understanding that words can be broken down into specific sounds ("cat" = /c/ /a/ /t/) that are then represented by specific alphabet letters or combinations of letters.

...that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities... The dyslexic's struggles with reading and spelling are unexpected in light of his/her otherwise average ability to learn in the absence of print. The unexpectedness can be seen in the student who has good intellectual functioning in other academic areas, such as math. The dyslexic student will struggle with reading and spelling more than other students of the same ability level or grade.

...and the provision of effective classroom instruction. In order to say that a student's reading difficulties are unexpected, it must be shown that he/she was taught in a way that addressed gaps in any underlying foundational skills. So, before a dyslexia diagnosis can be made, the student's instructional history must be considered as well as how he/she responded to expert intervention help.

Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impeded growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. Because dyslexics have trouble reading, they often avoid doing it, which can lead to problems with expanding their vocabulary and background knowledge of subjects and concepts. That in turn can affect reading comprehension.

(Source: A Definition of Dyslexia by G. Reid Lyon, Sally E. Shaywitz and Bennett A. Shaywitz; Annals of Dyslexia, Volume 53, 2003)

Put another way, dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that causes difficulties with specific language skills, especially reading and spelling. Dyslexics may also have trouble with other language skills such as writing, listening, and speaking. (Source: International Dyslexia Association)

Preschool:

• May talk later than most children
• May have difficulty with rhyming
• May have difficulty pronouncing words (i.e., busgetti for spaghetti)
• May have poor auditory memory for nursery rhymes and chants
• May be slow to add new vocabulary words
• May be unable to recall the right word to use
• May have trouble learning numbers, days of the week, colors, shapes, and how to spell and write his or her name

Kindergarten through Grade 3:

• Fails to understand that words come apart; for example, that snowman can be broken into snow and man, and, later on, that the word man can be broken down still further and sounded out as: /m/ /a/ n/
• Has difficulty learning letter names and their corresponding sounds (letter-sound connection)
• Has difficulty reading single words by themselves (not part of connected text)
• Has difficulty spelling words phonetically
• Reads slowly and with effort
• Relies on context to recognize a word

Grade 4 through high school:

• Has a history of reading and spelling difficulties
• Avoids reading aloud
• Reads most material slowly, and oral reading remains labored
• Avoids reading for pleasure
• May have an inadequate vocabulary

       (Source: The Dyslexia Handbook -- Revised 2007)

Writing Difficulties

• Organization of ideas
• Poor spelling
• Poor letter formation and spatial organization

Mathematics Difficulties

• Memorizing math facts
• Correct sequencing of steps when solving problems
• Transposing digits within numbers

      (Source: International Dyslexia Association)

http://www.region10.org/dyslexia/Documents/DyslexiaHandbook11-10-2010.pdf

http://www.region10.org/dyslexia/Documents/SpanishDyslexiaHandbookUpdated2010.pdf

• Dyslexia is a Greek word that means "difficulty with words"
• It is the most common learning disability
• Depending on the criteria used and the source, estimates of the percentage of dyslexic students in the U.S. range from 5 to 20 percent of the population
• Dyslexia occurs in all languages, in all ethnic groups, and in all socio-economic classes
• Dyslexia is not a visual problem, and dyslexics do not see letters and words "backwards"
• Reversing letters and numbers can be common in young children who are not dyslexic; however, after the early grades, it can be symptomatic of dyslexia
• Screening measures of phonological awareness can be used to identify children from ages 4 through Grade 2 who are at risk for reading problems such as dyslexia
• Dyslexia is a lifelong condition, not a developmental lag that will eventually go away or be outgrown
• With early intervention and accommodations, most dyslexics can learn to read and succeed in school
• About 5% of dyslexics are resistant to treatment, given current knowledge levels
• About 30% of dyslexic children also have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Both boys and girls are affected by dyslexia about equally, with boys perhaps slightly more represented
• Students can be dyslexic and also intellectually gifted
• (Sources: Basic Facts about Dyslexia by Moats and Dakin; The Dyslexia Checklist by Rief and Stern; Dyslexia Action Plans for Successful Learning by Hannell)

All students with dyslexia will have difficulty at some level with reading, spelling, and writing, but no two dyslexics will be exactly alike. Factors affecting their difficulties include severity of the problem, its duration, responsiveness to treatment, coexisting conditions, and coexisting strengths.

Between one-third and one-half of children with dyslexia have a family member who is also dyslexic. Although there is no one "dyslexia gene," there appears to be a genetic factor to dyslexia. Often a formal diagnosis of dyslexia will not have been made in an adult family member, but he/she will have a history of lifelong reading/writing/spelling difficulties.

Dyslexia can affect children emotionally because they often feel dumb, frustrated with themselves, and inadequate in school. They also can experience anxiety and often have been labeled as lazy or unmotivated. Parental support can be crucial in minimizing the negative impact of dyslexia.

For most students, dyslexia is an area of weakness in a sea of many strengths, such as a good ability to reason, problem solve, and think critically. Dyslexics' academic difficulties are not due to lack of robust intelligence.

Many successful adults in various professions are dyslexic, including Cher and Nolan Ryan.

The state's Dyslexia Handbook (Revised 2007) contains guidelines about the process of identifying dyslexic students in Texas as well as other information concerning dyslexia.To read the handbook online or to access it to download a copy, click on the link above.

(Sources: Overcoming Dyslexia by Shaywitz; Basic Facts about Dyslexia by Moats and Dakin; The International Dyslexia Association)

(From The Dyslexia Handbook (Revised 2007, Updated 2010)

1. Does the student have to be a certain grade level before dyslexia assessment can occur? No. There is not a grade level requirement before assessment can occur; however, students should be provided research-based intervention prior to recommending assessment for dyslexia.
   
2. May a parent or guardian recommend that a student be assessed for dyslexia? Yes. A parent or guardian may request to have his/her child assessed for dyslexia or a related disorder by staff at the district or charter school. (If the school district has data to support refusal of the parent's or guardian's request, the procedural protections of Section 504 must be followed. The parents or guardians must be provided their notice of rights under Section 504. For a student who is special education-eligible, IDEA 2004 procedures must be followed. Best practices suggest appropriate timelines to mirror those of special education.)
   
3. Can a student be considered for assessment of dyslexia even if he/she has passed a test required by the Texas State Assessment program (TAKS)? Yes. Results from a state test, required by the Texas State Assessment program, are only one source of data to be gathered and considered for possible recommendation for assessment. Other information must also be considered such as: teacher information, report card grades, parent information, history of reading difficulties, informal observations of the student's abilities, response to scientifically based reading instruction, etc.
   
4. Is there one test that can be used to determine that a student has dyslexia or a related disorder? No. Districts and charter schools should use multiple data sources, including formal and informal measures that are appropriate for determining whether a student has dyslexia or a related disorder.
   
5. Must each campus have a dyslexia program? Yes. Each school must provide each student identified with dyslexia access at his/her campus to the services of a teacher trained in dyslexia and related disorders. The school district may, with the approval of each student's parents or guardians, offer additional services at a centralized location. Such centralized services shall not preclude each student from receiving services at his/her campus.

Overcoming Dyslexia by Dr. Sally Shaywitz

Basic Facts about Dyslexia and Other Reading Problems by Louisa Moats and Karen Dakin

The Dyslexia Checklist: A Practical Reference for Parents and Teachers by Sandra Rief and Judith Stern

Straight Talk about Reading: How Parents Can Make a Difference During the Early Years by Susan Hall and Louisa Moats

Parenting a Struggling Reader by Susan Hall and Louisa Moats

Reading David: A Mother and Son's Journey through the Labyrinth of Dyslexia by Lissa Weinstein

Smart Kids with School Problems: Things to Know and Ways to Help by Priscilla Vail

How Dyslexic Benny Became a Star: A Story of Hope for Dyslexic Children and Their Parents by Joe Griffith

Josh: A Boy with Dyslexia by Caroline Janover

My Name is Brain Brian by Jeanne Betancourt

The Alphabet War: A Story about Dyslexia by Diane Robb

It's Called Dyslexia by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos

Se Llama Dislexia by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos

International Dyslexia Association http://www.interdys.org

LD Online http://ldonline.com

National Center for Learning Disabilities http://www.ncld.org

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities http://www.nichcy.org

National Institute for Literacy http://www.nifl.gov

Learning Disabilities Association of America http://www.ldanatl.org

Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic http://www.rfbd.org/Units/Texas_Unit.htm

If you have questions relating to dyslexia or would like clarification of any of the information above, please contact Paula Tilker, education specialist at Region 9.

Phone: (940) 322-6928, Ext. 373

Email: paula.tilker@esc9.net